Kansas State Visit Data

Laura McClure, former State Legislator

1. What is your state’s vision for highspeed broadband connectivity in the state? How are you defining high speed?

627 incorporated communities.
75% of people live in small communities
Former legislator from 92 to 02. Served rural counties.
On KanEd committee, also on Utilities Committee
Special telecom committee
Telecom act 96 and KanEd was to give access to people in small towns access to the Internet. Make dial-up available through rural Kansas.
Schools a big part.
Libraries big for adults who don’t have computers.
KanEd was to help do this.
Also to allow distance ed.
Statewide “ubiquitous” seamless, affordable service.
Tried to get up to 56K.
Kansas Corporation Commission that regulates all utilities called that “rural welfare”.
Was funding to help get 56K throughout the state.
Real tension between urban and rural. Urban didn’t care if rural got any service. Anything that gave rural subsidies.
Got it passed but didn’t happen.
Many of the schools and libraries couldn’t afford what a teleco was “touting” as their package
Fiber to the doorstep in some areas now.
BlueSkies satellite.
“Can’t expect dial=up to every farmhouse in the country”
Look for a document on the telecom act of 96 and it would have the statute. Look for Rainey Gilian could find it.
Lynn Holt was the research person who worked on it.

2. What steps are you taking (have you taken) to make this vision a reality?
KanEd was created.
Tried to bring in all the players.
Good documentation on this.
Summer interim document
Libaries
Schools
Hospials
Universities
Cities and counties??
Got it passed. Took several years.
Argued over where funding would come from.
Two other legislators
Carl Holmes, House Rep
Sen. Jay Emler, owns a telecom operation
General idea of KanED was because did not see a lot of progress from the telecom act.
KanEd came out of this.
Wanted interconnectedness and opportunity at a reasonable price across the whole state.
Talked to some who were not real pleased with how it turned out.
Original purpose of KAnEd was local providers would work with KAnEd to provide at a reasonable cost, partially through KUSF funding. Just give grants, not broker prices.

Does KUSF $$ go to library or to teleco?
Didn’t even think of asking KanED to negotiate.

Not sure how all the details were actually implemented.

Not familiar with I2.
Talk to Ft. Hayes about distance education. Have students in China and Istanbul. Use a lot of technology.
Cindy Eliot is in charge of China program.

3. What is taking (has taken) the lead in bringing this about?

Laura was the ranking democrat.
A lot of “drivenness” came out of this committee.
Combination of legislative initiative and someone bringing it to them.
Can’t remember.
After telecom 96 that didn’t work, wanted to find something that would.

4. How successful have you been so far?

Look at website to see who has signed on.
Only a few public libraries.
Nex tec rural telco provides BB.
In her town, Osborn, public library only has 3or 4 computers and they are old.
Librarians are overwhelmed with everything they are doing.
Previous librarian was not a computer person.
In many of smaller communities that have older librarians, the training piece is huge.
If nobody know how to run them.
Why so few libraries
$$
Age of computers
Librarians overwhelmed
Should KAnEd reach out to these libraries?
Assumed they would since they had the money.
Could have provided training.
Looks like from the list they have reached out to the schools.

5. What barriers are you encountering in your efforts to establish a successful broadband network?

$$
Age of computers local libraries
Lack of trained librarians, many are unpaid volunteers
General public, if don’t know what KAnEd or high speed network is and does, then they don’t push for it.
Where the libraries are connected, there was a champion at the library who went after KanEd connection.
Her library is a hotspot so people bring their own.
Frustration a barrier. Librarians got excited and then it didn’t happen. Hit a brick wall and gave up.

6. What role do you see for public libraries in your state’s broadband vision?

If they are connected and part of KanEd,
They library has to let the community know what it has to offer.
Trying to bring economic development back to the community. Need a broadband connection to do that.
Library has to let community know they have high speed. Library is in the middle of everything if connected.
Techie generation is in the schools. If connectivity not in schools than have to have it in the libraries to give equal opportunity.

7. Is the state librarian involved in your work to implement high speed broadband access? (Ask if it seems appropriate)

Duane was involved.
Duane testified.
Most of the drive came from the legislators.

8. What might the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation do to help local public libraries get high speed connectivity?

Endowment fund to put some money in and encourage other foundations to invest. Use income from endowment fund to pay telecom costs. Would help KanEd in the future.